Hello. Just a little something in between ongoing series...
Tenchi Forever SPOILER ahead... Also, some parts of this story will be
unfamiliar if you have not seen Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 (Tenchi
Forever).
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The stone steps were, in any practical sense of the word, eternal. For
as long as he could remember, there was an almost ritualistic quality to
climbing the long stairwell to his house, or the even longer trek to the
shrine, which was suitably higher on the hill.
The ritual ascent carried additional solemnity today: Masaki Tenchi had
graduated from high school. He'd grown in the last year or so, something
typical for persons of Juraian heritage, as Aeka had told him; a late
growth spurt before maturity, giving him added height and lengthening
his features just enough to make him almost the spitting image of his
grandfather when he was young. He'd even taken to wearing his hair
longer, strengthening the resemblance to the Yousho of times past... or
of a young man artificially aged in a pocket dimension. He shook those
thoughts loose.
College, or the possibility of it, loomed large in the very near future,
but it was actually the furthest thing from his mind. Rather, each step
higher brought increasing thoughts of long, but pleasant, burdens, of
matters avoided, of decisions deferred... and of secrets kept.
His six-month absence during the 'Incident', as everyone had come to
call it, had set him back a year in school, but he found that he didn't
really mind. While he still enjoyed his friends there, life was home and
the strange, exotic, or enigmatic -- but always wonderful -- people who
shared it. He was addicted to the carnival of his life, even when the
ride became rough or dangerous.
Mihoshi, bubbling and cheerful, was always trying her hardest to do the
right thing, only to end up getting in her own way. The cool
professionalism of Kiyone, someone Tenchi admired greatly, both for the
aforementioned trait and her practiced patience with Mihoshi before
finally blowing up. He chuckled to himself.
Sasami's control of the household was a wonder to behold, and she was
perhaps the nicest person he'd ever known, if a bit mischievous now and
again. She bent over backwards to see that everyone was fed and cared
for. Aeka, sometimes cool and aloof, other times warm and caring; he
knew which was the real Aeka, as did everyone else. Ryouko...
A flash of red caught his eye just before reaching the landing for the
house, and Tenchi stopped and stared at the steps in front of him, his
vision narrowing to a red camellia blossom that had drifted down from
another part of the grounds. Its petals fluttered in the soft breeze,
drawing the eye to its raised, golden center.
"Haruna..." He sat down on the steps and picked the blossom up, twirling
the stem thoughtfully between thumb and forefinger, and sighed. There
was another matter that weighed on him heavily; he'd lied... twice,
although the realization of it had crept up on him. One lie to everyone
and one he'd lived since he'd returned.
Still holding the flower, Tenchi rose and walked the remaining distance
to his home. He paused at the gate where the Guardians were stationed,
hesitant to continue on, knowing his brooding would be interrupted.
"Camellia," Azaka said.
"A fine specimen," Kamidake added.
"Its flowering season is about over, though," Azaka continued.
"Making way for others," Kamidake concluded. "Still, a fine specimen."
Tenchi abruptly grinned. "Yes, she was beautiful at that... Thanks,
guys." Smiling to himself and taking a full draught of the bloom's
fragrance, he swung the gate open and sauntered in, his mood lightened.
<Sweet dreams, Haruna.>
After Tenchi entered the house, Azaka and Kamidake rotated such that
they peered at each other with their oculars. "What did he mean by
that?" Kamidake asked.
"Difficult to say, but it sounded complicated," Azaka said.
====================
In vino veritas
A Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 (Tenchi TV) FanFiction
By
D.F. Roeder
----- Disclaimers -----
Tenchi Muyou!, Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 (Tenchi Forever), and the
characters of both are the property of Masaki Kajishima and AIC/Pioneer
LDC.
This work of fanfiction is for free-entertainment purposes only; no
compensation has been or will be received for its composition.
----- Acknowledgments -----
My thanks to Andrew Norris, T.H. Tiger, and Vince Seifert for explempary
prereading.
My further thanks to Vince for prereading and discussing the revised
version.
====================
PART ONE
____________________
Sasami had outdone herself for Tenchi's first meal as a graduate. He
leaned back into the sofa, feeling like nothing more than a beached
whale. The family, related and otherwise, gathered in the den, and
Washuu regaled everyone with the trials and tribulations of one of her
latest inventions. She was an intriguing image as she spoke, and Tenchi
reached for items that had become his constant companions since his time
with Haruna.
He opened the sketchpad and pulled the pencil out of the tunnel of
spiral binding. Quickly penciling in the outlines of Washuu's face and
body, he chose a pose she often used when telling a story, arms in
motion and locks of hair bouncing. Washuu was a favorite subject of his;
despite her age, there was a certain free innocence in the diminutive
woman, hiding underneath her hard and seemingly insane exterior. It was
fascinating to try to capture it on paper. He paused. <Or recapture?> He
let that thought die without further examination.
Tenchi could feel Aeka's and Ryouko's eyes on him, and he smiled to
himself in understanding. Drawing had always been a talent of his -- his
father's legacy, he imagined -- but he'd never really done much of it
before the 'Incident'. Haruna had awakened some need in him to create
when she'd pulled him into the world she'd made; a unforeseen byproduct
of that experience. Now that he was drawing often, however, it always
seemed to unnerve a certain two of his housemates. He frowned minutely;
that wasn't entirely fair. He'd caught everyone scrutinizing him at
least once, making sure that all of him had returned, that nothing had
been left behind.
As Washuu wound up her tale, Tenchi hurried to complete his sketch.
Almost in unison, the two of them finished. Washuu's audience laughed,
and with a flourish, Tenchi tore the sheet off and handed it to her as a
spur-of-the-moment present.
She took the drawing, her eyes widening. "Wow! You're pretty good,
Tenchi-dono!" She looked up to see him smiling at her. She blushed and
lowered her head, looking back at the picture. "Arigatou... Tenchi."
Aeka and Ryouko were burning holes in Washuu with their eyes, but she
and Tenchi ignored them. "No problem, Washuu-chan," Tenchi said. "It was
a good story."
"Thank you, Tenchi-dono." Washuu was flustered, but her mercurial
personality soon washed it away as the gathered people continued to have
fun. It wasn't long before the sake was broken out, and even Tenchi
partook, much to everyone's surprise.
He caught Ryouko grinning at him as he sipped, and he returned the
gesture, further surprising her. Like Washuu, she blushed and looked
away. Tenchi chuckled, and then coughed as the harsh liquor burned down
his throat.
~~~~~
Tenchi made a profound discovery: he was a moody drunk. For the first
several rounds, he continued to get happier and happier, temporarily
forgetting any troubles, but he soon crossed some unknown threshold and
his mood started graying. It wasn't depression, just a low-level
brooding, similar to but stronger than his state from earlier in the
day. The group went on, getting noisier and noisier, and he realized it
was becoming irritating.
Grabbing an unopened bottle off the table, Tenchi stood and walked in a
reasonably straight line to the door.
"Oi, Tenchi! Where're you going?" his grandfather Katsuhito asked, a
knowing look still present on his pickled face.
"Some air. Need air." Tenchi opened the front door and quickly closed it
behind him. "Ah. Better. Maybe a walk, too." He didn't feel up to the
stairs, so he wandered down one of the forest trails that disappeared
into the darkness along the side of the hill.
"Lies, lies. I'm living a lie..." he muttered, stumbling along and
slowly losing awareness of his surroundings as he dwelled on his
thoughts. "I'm so tired of it."
He came to himself after a long while and looked around. He grimaced
when he realized he'd unerringly made his way to an old and now-dead
camellia tree... Haruna's tree. The sake was exerting more of a hold on
him, and he stumbled over and sat down heavily at the base of the burned
and split trunk. Lost in memory, he sat there for a long time, his
forearms resting on his knees, the unopened bottle hanging loosely from
the fingers of his left hand.
~~~~~
"Old man, have you seen Tenchi?" Ryouko asked the bleary-eyed Katsuhito.
"Err, not recently. Problem?"
"I'm worried. The last time..." She trailed off.
"Mmmm." He nodded. "He shouldn't have gone out alone, I suppose. Shall
we have a look around?"
Ryouko smiled in relief. "Thanks." She had to step over a comatose Aeka
and Mihoshi. Kiyone was still awake, sitting in a cushy chair and
singing into the microphone in a language Ryouko didn't recognize.
<Everything in this house has meaning for me, just like that old karaoke
machine,> Ryouko thought as she fondly remembered the good times on the
group's way to Jurai. She shook her head, smiling, and followed
Katsuhito out of her home, her expression fading to worry.
~~~~~
Tenchi had dozed off, but he awoke with a jerk. Blinking, he groggily
brought the unopened sake bottle to his face, peering at it. Nodding to
himself, he peeled the foil seal off and took a sip.
"BWRACK!!" He spit the liquid out. "Bleah. Jiichan was wrong. It
*doesn't* get better the more you drink." His stomach churned. "Ohhh...
No more, please."
Setting the bottle down, he rubbed his belly with one hand while
massaging his forehead with the other. "I'm going to regret this
tomorrow, just as soon as Ryouko sneaks in and wakes me up." He giggled
at a passing fancy of grabbing her and kissing her madly. <Wouldn't she
be surprised...> His mood soured almost instantly. "Can't do that yet,
Tenchi. Bah."
He rolled over onto his hands and knees and returned to an upright
position by working his palms up the tree's trunk. Once standing, his
gaze continued up the split in the bole to where the single trunk
divided into many branches.
"Haruna..."
He backed away several paces, unaware of the two figures that ghosted
into being behind him.
"Gomen na, Haruna, but you were wrong." He stumbled forward again,
picked up the bottle, and poured the rest of the sake on the tree,
washing it like a grave marker.
"Rest in peace, Haruna."
A voice pointedly coughed, and Tenchi whirled around to see his
grandfather and a wide-eyed Ryouko.
"Oh, boy. I'm in it deep now," he muttered. He took a step forward, but
the other foot caught on a root when he tried to bring it up, and Tenchi
fell on his face. "Iteee!"
"Tenchi!" Ryouko fluttered in teleport and reappeared next to him,
helping him to sit up and rubbing his shoulders. Katsuhito walked up and
joined them, but nothing was said for several moments. Tenchi was
staring at the ground between his knees when he finally spoke.
"Haruna was wrong, Jiichan. I... I remember... everything. Not at first,
but it crept back up on me, little by little." He absently rubbed his
left ring finger. "Everything."
Before Katsuhito could reply, Ryouko said, "BUT... but you acted like...
you didn't remember... Tenchi, why didn't you say something?"
Tenchi laughed ruefully. "I thought it would be easier on you. I didn't
want to hurt you... talking about it. You tried so hard to get me back,
I--"
"Me and Aeka can take it, Tenchi," she answered a little crossly. "We
don't break too easy."
"Uh... yeah, you and Aeka..."
Katsuhito raised an eyebrow, but refrained from speaking. Another period
of silence followed.
"You saved me, you know," Tenchi abruptly continued.
"Well, yeah," Ryouko answered. "I got you out before it all
disappeared."
"No, no. That's not what I meant." He finally raised his head and looked
at her with bloodshot eyes. His hand reached out and clumsily caressed
her cheek. "Your face. It wouldn't go away. It gave me a real pounding
headache, too."
Tenchi giggled drunkenly, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He
picked up a loose petal on the ground. "I kept drawing it and drawing
it, seeing it everywhere I looked, and Haruna kept tearing them up and
crying about it and... and--"
"Um, what are you saying, Tenchi?" Ryouko was blushing heavily and her
breathing was becoming ragged. Without them being aware of it, Katsuhito
moved a discreet distance away. Tenchi dropped the petal and looked into
her eyes, his own going soft.
"You made me remember, and you weren't even there."
Ryouko blink-blinked, and then stared at him for a long moment before
gathering him up and crushing him in a hug. She finally let him go and
sat back on her shins, her eyes moist and her voice catching. In
passing, she noticed his color was changing and his jaw was sagging, but
the observation wasn't important enough to get past her fearful joy.
"Does... does this mean that you... I... ?!"
"Ryou-- ko," Tenchi falteringly muttered, bending over at the waist,
"I... I..." He scooted to the side, leaned over the ground, placing his
palms on the leaf litter, and began emptying the contents of his stomach
onto the ground.
"I... I..." *COUGH* "love... you..." Another set of heaves cleaned out
whatever was left. Tenchi fell to his side, groaning, and Katsuhito
returned to his side and helped him sit up.
Ryouko was frozen. She was overjoyed that Tenchi had finally admitted
his love for her, but something felt... wrong about it, like she should
be angry instead of happy. In the end, she couldn't get her mind to
process it, so she shrugged, stood, and helped Katsuhito get Tenchi to
his feet, and they both walked him back down the lane towards the house,
the brooding nighttime forest swallowing them.
The branches of the broken camellia tree swayed and creaked with the
silent breeze.
____________________
Aeka, First Crown Princess of Jurai, was beginning to see herself as a
veteran campaigner in the space-pirate liquor wars. She padded, and
sometimes stumbled, downstairs for a cool glass of water to wash away
the 2:00 AM cotton in her mouth.
"Ugph." The smell of sake was still strong on the ground floor.
She pushed open the door to the kitchen and flipped up the wall switch,
turning on the harsh lighting.
"Oww..." "Owie..."
Aeka blinked. "Ryouko-san? What are you doing up? ... And *still*
drinking?!"
Ryouko peered at her balefully with one reddened yellow eye. "Go 'way,
Oujochan. I'm not in the mood for a fight right now."
Aeka studied her for a moment, then nodded distractedly. She crossed the
room to the sink and filled a glass from the cold-water tap, taking a
long drink. She debated with herself for a few seconds, then
purposefully sat down at the table opposite Ryouko. Nothing was said for
several moments, as they both sipped at their respective beverages.
"You remind me of how you were before I talked you into going back for
him the last time."
Ryouko shifted around, but didn't say anything.
"I see. I will leave you to your thoughts." Aeka made to rise, but
Ryouko's hand quickly lay atop her own before she could move.
"No! Um, no. Please stay, Aeka. That is, if you want to..."
The princess settled back and leveled her gaze at the pirate. "Something
happened earlier, or you wouldn't be this, ah, needy for company."
Snorting, Ryouko said, "Can't put one by the best Jurai has to offer,
can I?"
Aeka smirked. "Not on your life, uncouth pirate."
Ryouko opened her mouth to retort, but she stopped and slowly closed it,
smiling wanly. "I'm... glad, to tell the truth." She picked up her sake
cup and quickly drained it, looking at Aeka over the rim. She set the
empty cup down. "I... like having you around, Aeka."
The princess started, then smiled wanly in return. "I understand. I...
suppose I feel the same... most of the time." They regarded one another
and broke into giggles.
After calming down, Aeka said, "Now, what is troubling you, Ryouko-san?"
The color drained out of Ryouko's face, and she lightly flicked the edge
of the empty sake cup with her forefinger, studying the motion.
"Tenchi got really smashed tonight. He wandered off and ended up at
*her* tree." She ignored Aeka's sharp intake of breath. "I learned a
couple of things, too." She looked back up at her friend. "He *does*
remember."
"WHAT?! Errr, what?"
Ryouko nodded. "It all came back to him, and he's been hiding it."
Aeka turned that revelation over in her head a few times, but ended up
frustrated. "I don't understand. Why? I mean, why hide it?"
The cyan-haired woman nervously peeled the seal off of a fresh bottle of
sake and took a long pull straight from it. "Ahhh! Courage in a bottle."
Her friend and rival quirked an eyebrow, and Ryouko smiled sheepishly.
"Remember what we just said, Aeka. I *like* having you around." She set
the sake down with a thump and placed her forehead in her hands, elbows
resting on the table.
"He... He said he kept seeing my face, drawing my face, and Haruna kept
tearing them up. He said that I helped him to remember even though I
wasn't there. He said... He said..." Between her wrists she could see
the tablecloth creasing inside Aeka's fists. "He said... he... loved
me."
Ryouko tensed, closing her eyes and waiting for the explosion, waiting
for the pain, for the scream, the tears, hate. Instead, the hiss of
hands on cloth reached her ears, and Ryouko straightened, opening her
eyes. With a neutral expression, an almost empty expression, Aeka's gaze
followed her own fingers as they ran down creases, trying to smooth away
the lines.
She waited, as Aeka smoothed.
"If what you say is true," the princess evenly mused after a long
moment, "why are you brooding and drinking by yourself?" Her red eyes
widened slightly at the flash of something unreadable on Ryouko's face.
"The truth, Ryouko."
Cyan hair bounced slightly as Ryouko sighed. "He was throwing his guts
up while saying it."
Aeka winced. "I... see...." Feelings of sympathy rose in her in spite of
her own pain. "What are you feeling?"
Ryouko chuckled dryly. "I should be jumping for joy, shouldn't I? It's
what I've been waitin' for, waitin' to hear, right? What we've been
fightin' over, ne?" She started having trouble focusing her eyes.
"... And instead?" Aeka softly asked.
She barked a laugh. "I'm... disappointed. Go figure. Bad-ass space
pirate, disappointed because loverboy threw up his supper along with his
words of love. Hahaha! I should tell that one to Nagi. Heheh, Heh, ..."
The overhead lamp glinted off of Ryouko's moist face as she lowered it,
and the soft sniffles tore jagged, mortal wounds in the life-long feud
between the two women, a feud that had already had one foot in the grave
since the months they'd spent searching for Tenchi together. Aeka rose
and sat next to Ryouko, pulling her into her embrace. Ryouko snaked her
arms around Aeka's torso and buried her face in her shoulder, still only
sniffling.
"What's wrong with me?" Ryouko asked, her voice muffled.
Stroking the spiky hair and mildly amazed at its softness, Aeka said,
"You're just like every other woman who dreams pretty dreams of love,
Ryouko. Just like everyone else... just like me." Aeka rocked her,
letting her warmth flow into the other, putting off her own
disappointment for later.
"I may get Tenchi, but did I win?" Ryouko eventually asked.
"I... don't know what you mean." Aeka released her, and Ryouko sat back
and turned her head away.
"If, if you leave... I win... and lose."
Aeka clasped her hands in her lap and sighed, but before she could
speak, the kitchen door pushed open to reveal Sasami, rubbing her moist
eyes.
"Oneesama, I had a bad dream, and you were gone." She blinked at seeing
Ryouko's tears. "Ryouko-oneechan, did you have a bad dream, too?"
"Hey, Sasami." Ryouko wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Uh... not exactly,
but... not as good as I wanted... I guess."
Sasami squeezed past Aeka and gathered them both in a hug. "As long as
we're all together, everything's all right. The bad dreams can't hurt
us."
The two women stared into each other's eyes over Sasami's head.
~~~~~
Depressed, Aeka strode into the kitchen, glanced at the four, the zero,
and the seven on the stove clock, and bent down in front of a cabinet.
Opening the cabinet door, she loaded a handy basket with the remaining
sake bottles, adding a cup as an afterthought.
She left the kitchen, turning off the light, and disappeared into the
ladies' bath.
____________________
A slice of morning sunlight slowly crept up his face to happily shine
directly across his closed eyelids. The scream of chemically abused
optic nerves elicited a groan and a rolling of the head out of the path
of the offending photons. After a moment, he blinked his eyes open to
see a blurry figure sitting next to the bed. Surprise made him sit up,
"Aeka-san!" much too quickly. "Ohhh... Ow." He pressed his fists into
his temples.
"Feeling poorly this morning, Tenchi-sama?" Aeka asked, her voice a dull
monotone.
Tenchi instantly stopped his self-ministrations and, peering from under
his eyebrows, took a closer look at Aeka. It was then that he noticed
her color was off, even a little gray, and she wasn't sitting so much as
slumping in her chair.
"I've... been better," he finally said. "How are you?"
"About the same as you. Isn't sake in excess wonderful?" she dryly
remarked.
"Ahhh, heh, well..." Tenchi sat up and twisted to put his feet on the
floor, then regretted the movement, cradling his head in his hands.
"Oooh, how does Jiichan do it? He's probably already seeing people at
the shrine."
"Superior Juraian constitution, perhaps."
Chuckling wryly, Tenchi said, "Are you saying I'm a featherweight?"
To his surprise, Aeka frowned. "No, Tenchi-sama. Never that."
He placed his hands on his knees. "What can I do for you this morning,
Aeka-san?"
"I was thinking..." She trailed off, then smiled a little evasively. "I
was thinking I am always chastising Ryouko-san for doing this when I
hadn't experienced it myself."
"Uh..."
"I must admit to not quite understanding what she sees in it, but
perhaps that is the sake's fault."
"Aeka-san--"
"Why didn't you want to be emperor, Tenchi?" she asked abruptly, a short
burst of courage.
<So...> He massaged his knees absently. "You spoke to Ryouko after I
came back last night."
"... Hai."
Tenchi closed his eyes, not wanting to see her pain, but he forced them
open; she deserved nothing less.
"Kagato. I killed him. That's why I don't want the throne."
Aeka started. "What? I don't..." She stopped, her features illustrating
her confusion.
"I don't want to have to do that again," he said quietly.
"But, Tenchi-sama! That was unprecedented! It almost never--"
"And," he uncharacteristically cut her off, "I don't want to be in the
position of deciding whomever else lives or dies. I don't want that kind
of power." He looked her in the eye. "You can't say that the throne
*doesn't* do that."
Shrinking back, she put her hands to her mouth. It *was* an
uncomfortable fact of rulers' lives. "But... but the high courts make
those decisions."
"On the emperor's authority."
Aeka wilted, "Hai," and looked at her hands for a moment. A thought
occurred to her, and her resolve strengthened. "Wouldn't that make you
the perfect man for the job?"
"EH?!" Tenchi blinked at her.
"Who would you rather have making those decisions? Someone comfortable
with it, not really seeing it for what it is, or someone who dislikes it
intensely, aware of every single life taken by his word?"
Tenchi's mouth worked, but nothing was forthcoming. <I hadn't considered
that part of it.> "I, um, see."
She smiled at him. "That you don't desire such a thing is one of the
reasons I..." Aeka clasped her hands under her chin and turned away.
"It's one of the reasons I... I love you, Tenchi."
He winced. "And I... care for you a lot, Aeka-sa-- Aeka, but I... um..."
"Can you not say it?" she said in a small voice. "She deserves it."
Amazed at the confession, Tenchi paused, then said firmly, "I love
Ryouko."
"She is... lucky to have your heart, Tenchi-sama." She still hadn't
turned back to him.
"Thank you, Aeka-sama, but you will always have a place in there, too."
Aeka wanted to wince, grimace, cry out, something! But she knew better,
better even than Tenchi. "I am glad," she turned back to him, smiling,
"because I don't consider myself out of the running quite yet."
Tenchi collapsed in surprise, moaning from the floor as he aggravated
his hangover.
~~~~~
Something had shifted in the house, and relationships were being
realigned. She might not have thought of it in so many words, but
Sasami, Second Crown Princess of Jurai, was aware of it all the same.
An American-style breakfast had appealed to her this morning, perhaps a
reflection of other changes. She already had a pile of crisp bacon
keeping warm in the oven, and she was currently expertly assembling
several omelets stuffed full of largely non-Western treats. Pancake
batter sat ready in a bowl, and she kept her eye on a saucepan of
homemade syrup, stirring occasionally.
It took concentration to make sure all of the elements of a successfully
presented breakfast came off in fine fashion. Timing, expertise in
ingredients and cooking times, and... love. Without the love for the
people she cooked for, a meal would only succeed by happenstance.
She looked over at Ryou-ou-ki, sitting on a stool and gnawing a carrot
without her usual zeal. Even the little cabbit was aware of a change in
the prevailing house-winds, and the poor dear was distracted.
Sasami forced her mind back to her tasks, lest the meal get away from
her. It would all be all right. All the ingredients were gathered in one
place, ready to play their parts. Everyone would stay together. Bad
stuff couldn't hurt them if they all stayed together. That was the
important part. Together.
~~~~~
Aeka returned with two glasses of water and a bottle of aspirin, handing
one glass and the aspirin to Tenchi. He took them gratefully and shook
out two tablets, thought about it, and shook out one more, downing them
with the water.
"I've been told that a little sake in the morning is supposed to help,"
Aeka said, as she took back the aspirin and dosed herself similarly,
"but I'm not sure I could keep it down."
"Doesn't sound too pleasant, does--" They both stopped and sniffed.
Wonderful odors of cooking were creeping throughout the house, and soon,
everyone would be converging on the kitchen. Their stomachs growled
appreciatively, and they looked at each other.
"Sasami-chan strikes again," Tenchi chortled, as Aeka laughed lightly.
Tenchi paused, remembering what had caused him to fall off the bed. "Ah,
Aeka-san, what did you mean about still being in the running?"
She looked at him with a twinkle in her bleary eye. "Nobility are
allowed, ah, multiple wives, and as Emperor, you could probably have as
many as you wanted-- within bounds of reason, of course."
Tenchi's mouth hung open.
Aeka sighed. "Do you not remember some Juraian nobles escorting two or
three, sometimes *four* or more, women about the palace?"
"Four? Or *more*?" he squeaked.
"Hai."
"*Four*?!"
Aeka finally reddened. "Well... usually two, sometimes three, but four
or more happens at times, although some consider, ahem, five and above
rather scandalous." She fanned herself in embarrassment, thinking of
that circumstance as little better than a harem.
Although Tenchi was already nobility, she carefully couched her
presentation around the throne, using it to lend credence to what she
knew would be a difficult moral adjustment for the young Earther. She
noticed Tenchi had wandered off into strange mental territory. <Best to
not let him scare himself over the thought of too many wives...>
"Tenchi-sama, I think two... possibly three, wives," she added
reluctantly, "would be viewed as appropriate for the Emperor. More and
his power might be seen as too thinly spread, especially if the
marriages are political."
Tenchi scowled at that thought, and Aeka hurriedly said, "Not that you
would have to marry for those reasons, of course."
Relieved, he let out his breath. "Um, aren't we putting the cart before
the horse? Just a little?"
Aeka blinked. "I am unfamiliar with that expression."
"We are getting ahead of ourselves," he said wryly.
"Oh. Well..."
Tenchi stood up and walked to his chest-of-drawers, opening one drawer
and digging around. "I still don't feel like I want to do that. Me?
Emperor? I can't even imagine it." He pulled out a pair of black
drawstring pants and started stuffing one leg in, but Aeka broke in with
a strange statement.
"You have no idea the trouble you've caused, Tenchi-sama."
One leg in and one leg out, Tenchi blinked at her. "Where? What? How?"
"Jurai, disappointment, not taking the throne."
He matched answers to questions, and gaped. "ME?! I'm *NO*-body!"
Almost instantly furious, Aeka raged to her feet. "YOU ARE *NOT*
NOBODY!! EVER!!!"
Tenchi leaned back against the chest-of-drawers. "Uh, okay, um--"
"WHEN..." She breathed in and out, calming herself a little, but her
eyes were watering. "When the People of Jurai found out that the direct
line had been discovered and that the current heir -- and I do mean
'HEIR' -- had been found and had defeated the Usurper... You cannot
imagine the joy, the celebration that went on. Don't you remember?!"
"THAT?! Was for ME?!"
"Hai."
"But, but, but... I thought it was because Kagato was gone! ME?!"
Aeka shook her head. "No one knew who Kagato was. They all thought him
Yousho. The revelation of his real identity and your existence came so
quickly, they didn't have time to celebrate his... removal. They went
straight to celebrating the *real* return of the main line!"
Tenchi stared at nothing. <Me?>
"When you declined the throne, I could almost feel the disappointment in
the air."
"I... I don't know, Aeka."
"You are the most powerful, Tenchi-sama, and the direct heir to the
throne. I could feel the enormity of your Jurai Power coming off the
Tenchiken in waves. It was almost painful. No one... no one else could
have defeated Kagato." She paused. "Not even Yousho-sama, as it turned
out."
Tenchi was speechless.
Aeka watched him struggle with her words. Sighing, she stepped over and
straightened his bed, tucked the sheets in, and fluffed the pillows. She
gathered the glasses and the aspirin, and put the chair back in the
corner. She picked up his dirty clothes from the day before, even though
she wasn't on wash duty today, and began walking towards the door.
She stopped halfway, burdened with his used items and apparel, and still
facing the door, she said, "That you defeated him at all is sufficient
to place you on the throne, but also, and perhaps even more importantly,
you are heir to it. It belongs to you by birthright. Not to me, not to
Sasami, or to any other Juraian except Yousho-sama, but he's chosen his
path. Even if I became Empress without you, I would always feel like I
was sitting in your place."
She turned and bowed to him once, very low, before finally moving to the
door. She turned and looked back before opening it. "Be sure to tell
Ryouko you love her today." She frowned minutely. "Preferably without
throwing up at the same time," she gently chided.
Tenchi was stricken, remembering how poorly the night before had gone
off, but Aeka reclaimed his attention one last time, her soft voice
ringing in the room with a quiet power.
"The Throne of the Emperor of Jurai will always belong to Masaki
Tenchi... until his death. It is *his* -- by blood, by heart, by right,
and by might." Pausing, she gazed across to his staring eyes. "*That* is
why I am still in the running."
Quietly opening the door, Aeka bowed low again and stepped out of the
room. Sasami's voice could be heard, calling everyone down, and then the
door softly clicked shut.
____________________
Before he opened the kitchen door, Tenchi could hear Mihoshi. "Is it
ready, yet? Is it ready, yet? Is it--"
"MIHOSHI!!! AH! ARGH! Ow, owie, my head..." <Kiyone,> Tenchi mused,
pushing the door open and seeing the detective cradling her head.
"Ne, Kiyone!" Mihoshi patted Kiyone on the back. "Do you want me to make
you egg sake again?"
Kiyone looked up, her left eye twitching. "That's for colds, Mi-ho-shi,"
she ground out.
"Oh! Do you have a cold? Is that it?"
Deciding that silence was the better part of sanity this morning, Kiyone
muttered incoherently, ignoring Mihoshi's prattle.
"Ohayou, Kiyone-san," Tenchi offered gamely.
"Says you." She winced. "Sorry. Ohayou."
Tenchi chuckled. "No problem. Business as usual, I see."
"You don't know the half of it, Tenchi-san."
Looking around the table, Tenchi still had yet to see one particular
person this morning. "Anyone seen Ryouko?" He was met with shakes of the
head.
"Ryouko is in the kitchen, helping Sasami," Aeka said, as she brought in
a platter heaped with bulging omelets. Tenchi nodded, feeling a little
tense.
Sasami was next out, carrying a pile of bacon and a bowl of cubed melons
of various kinds.
"Mmmm." Katsuhito pulled his head out of the newspaper and eyed the
offerings. "Looks good, Sasami-chan. We haven't had a Western breakfast
in a while."
"Thank you," Sasami said. "Ryouko-oneechan's bringing out pancakes and
syrup."
As if summoned, Ryouko came through the door. She stopped when she
noticed everyone looking at her. She blushed and hurried to the table,
setting her platters down.
There was one place open at the table, next to Tenchi, but she just
stood, hesitating and unsure why. Tenchi smiled lopsidedly and held out
his hand.
"Your place is waiting," he softly said, his voice seeming to
unnaturally echo to her.
Ryouko turned scarlet, but took his hand anyway, easing herself down
next to him. She watched Tenchi as he smiled at her again and proceeded
to fill his plate. Once finished, he smirked at her.
"Breakfast, Ryouko-- chan."
She jumped and turned to her plate, embarrassed that he actually said
'chan' at the table in front of everybody! She jumped again when she
noticed everyone staring at her. Nobuyuki had a big, silly grin on his
face.
"WHAT?! Iitadakimasu!!" Still blushing, she filled her plate. <I'm a
space pirate! And a powerful one! This does *not* bother me. I am *not*
embarrassed!>
She ate, keeping her eyes down and on her food.
~~~~~
Sasami had conscripted her sister and Ryouko to do the dishes while she
worked on a grocery list. She currently had her head stuck in a cabinet
next to the sink.
Aeka, washing, looked sidelong at Ryouko, drying. "My, we're awfully
domestic this morning. Any particular reason?"
"A-e-ka hi-me," she ground out, trying to fight down a smile.
"OH-HO-HO-HOOOO!! Imagine it: a domesticated monster woman."
"Look, prissy princess," Ryouko wagged her finger, "I'm not the one up
to her elbows in dish soap."
"Touche, Ryouko-san." Aeka grinned, firmly defusing any escalation to
their heretofore typical fights.
They continued to work in companionable silence until Sasami wandered
into the latest addition to the house. At her insistence, citing the
amount of food she had to prepare each day, Washuu had connected a small
pocket dimension to the kitchen to serve as a walk-in pantry. Everything
was Sasami-sized, of course.
While they were alone, Ryouko studied Aeka for a few seconds and then
nodded to herself over a decision she'd already made. She put down her
dish, placed an arm around Aeka's waist, and leaned in to whisper in the
other's ear.
"When the time comes, 'Sister', you have my support. I just want him to
myself for a little while."
Ryouko leaned back and saw suds jumping off of her friend's shaking
hands and tears spilling down her face. She gathered Aeka into a hug,
and Aeka snaked her hands around Ryouko's torso and buried her face in
Ryouko's shoulder. The pirate rocked the princess lightly, stroking her
fine, violet hair.
"Maa! We are completely out of sake!" Sasami said, coming out of the
pantry. "Everybody drinks too-- Ara?"
Ryouko smiled at her, but didn't let go of Aeka. Sasami felt a profound
sense of relief wash through her, and she rushed forward to hug the
other two.
<As long as we're all together...>
____________________
"Tenchi."
He looked over his shoulder at Ryouko. "Hi! Finished up?"
She nodded and held out her hand. "Come with me."
Looking at her curiously, Tenchi rose and took her hand.
"Um, Ryouko, about last night--"
She turned and put the fingertips of her other hand to his lips. "No,
don't apologize." She let the fingers fall away. "It may not have gone
like I'd pictured it... or dreamed about it, but I realized that I was
being silly." She chuckled at the contrite look on Tenchi's face.
"Besides, the whole thing was so 'me' it smarts."
"Ryouko."
Pulling him along again, she led him through the house to the door of
the ladies' bath.
"Uh, Ryouko? I don't think--"
"Sssh." She placed one finger against his lips. "It's all right. I, er,
got permission."
Ryouko slid the door open, and the opulent room beckoned with curling
fingers of steam. She pulled the nervous young man in and shut the door.
"Strip."
"Ah! Haha! Um, I was kinda hoping to ease into--"
"I'm going to scrub your back," she said, arching one eyebrow. "Got a
problem with that?"
"Ah... ah... okay... I guess... um..."
She pointed a finger down and wagged it back and forth. "Strip," she
repeated with a slight smile.
Furiously red, Tenchi pulled his shirt off and then started to undo his
pants, but stopped. "What about you?" <ACK! I can't believe I said
that!>
Ryouko read that thought by the expression on his face, and she laughed
for the sheer joy of it, causing Tenchi to chuckle in response. Her
clothes faded away, leaving her nubile glory open to his inspection.
"All right," she said, "where's Tenchi and what have you done with him?"
"Ha ha," he nasally deadpanned, clutching his nose.
Swaying around behind him and grabbing him in a hug, she nuzzled his
ear. "I'm going to have to break you of that, you know."
Tenchi considered that with what brain Ryouko was currently leaving him
for such activities. He mustered some resolve and his meager wit,
remembering that in a sense he wasn't exactly inexperienced, and said,
"Oh? In or out of the saddle?"
Ryouko blink-blinked in surprise, then she clutched him even tighter.
"In," she longingly whispered. "Oh, definitely in."
~~~~~
Riding the crest of their passion, a stray memory flickered through
Ryouko's mind. It was something Washuu had said just before their first
foray into Haruna's world. <"I was just thinking how strong women in
love are..."> the scientist had said after a short pause.
<Yes, Washuu, we are. Strong enough to win... and even share.> She bent
over and kissed Tenchi. After the kiss, she lay down on him as her world
began to whiten in response to a rising force, a blizzard of emotion and
sensation, building and threatening to bury her.
"I love you, Tenchi," she softly keened into his ear, her happy tears
disappearing like melting snowflakes into his shining black hair.
"Forever."
"Ai shiteru, Ryouko-chan... Forever."
And the storm rose around her, entered her, became her, buried her in an
embrace of blinding white heat, and her keen changed to a cry of union,
love, and joy, shouting the name that was now her life.
====================
Part Two
____________________
"Tennnchi!! She's coming home! Help me!!" Ryouko frantically flitted
around the house, trying to straighten up. 'Nesting' was the word Washuu
had used to describe her behavior of late. Flying through the air, she
fussed around the house, and left Tenchi to scramble around on foot.
"Ryouko! Calm down! You'll hurt yourself."
Tenchi skidded to a stop when Ryouko whirled on him. She floated down to
his level, her belly only now noticeably distended. It had taken three
years, but with some help from Washuu, Ryouko was finally blissfully
pregnant. "You! Nobuyuki! The old man! I'm not gonna break! I wish the
three of you would stop buggin' me about it!"
"Awww, honey! That's not fair! We all love you."
"Oh, yeeeah. Your father loves a good peek, and your grandfather loves a
good squeeze, now and then. Some family I married into. Hmph!"
Bigsweating, Tenchi remembered Washuu saying Ryouko would jump back and
forth between various emotional states and states of mind. Today, it was
man-bashing. He sighed. "Ryouko-chan..."
"Gah. Men. You should be worried more about Aeka. I want this to be
*special*!"
"And it *will* be!"
"Ryouko," a third voice interrupted, "quit abusing the poor boy and
settle down." Nagi sauntered out of the kitchen, blowing on one of
Sasami's fresh cups of tea. She sipped. "Mmmm. The long trip's worth it
just for this."
"But Nagi-chan!" Ryouko whined.
"Don't call me that!" the bounty hunter hissed. "You know I hate that."
Ryouko burst into tears and began showing Tenchi massive amounts of
affection. He took it in stride.
Nagi smirked at Tenchi. "That's what you get for mating with her race."
"What a nice way of putting it," he said dryly. "No one ever told me she
would get so... *emotional* during pregnancy."
Laughing, Nagi plopped on the couch and turned on the television. Ryouko
abruptly stiffened.
"AAAAHHH!! I've gotta talk to Sasami-chan about the meal! AAAHHH!!" She
teleported out of Tenchi's arms, leaving him blinking. Nagi laughed at
him again, but Tenchi shrugged and walked around the couch, sitting next
to her.
"I want to thank you for coming and being here for Ryouko while Aeka is
away."
"Don't mention it," she said gruffly. "Ever." She shifted around
uncomfortably under Tenchi's grin. "Besides, I don't hunt mothers or
mothers-to-be, if I know about it, and Ken-ou-ki was getting to be
useless without getting to see his 'mate'. Grrr."
"Thanks, Nagi-san. Your presence means a lot to her."
Nagi just frowned. "My friend, the 'formerly wanted'. Bah. Darn
Juraians--" Now it was Nagi's turn to stiffen, and Ryouko came barreling
out of the kitchen. They looked at each other.
"No!" "Yes!"
"Grrr, Ryou-ou-ki!!" Ryouko disappeared, hunting her partner in crime.
Nagi sighed and slumped back onto the couch. "Damn." She speared Tenchi
with one eye. "I hope you don't mind a litter of cabbits in the house."
Tenchi paled, imagining the necessary increase in carrot yield from the
fields, and promptly fainted. Ryouko reappeared, a soused and satisfied
cabbit in each hand, held by the scruffs of their necks. Nagi wrinkled
her nose as the sour odor of sake wafted around the room. Ryouko looked
at her friend.
"NOW what?!"
Nagi shrugged. "Just like you: let nature run its course." She groaned
and rubbed her forehead. "Looks like I'm stuck here for a while." She
started when Ryouko's arms snaked around her neck in a hug.
"I'm not sorry, Nagi-chan."
"Ryouko!" she grunted. "What'll Tenchi think?!" <Nagi-chan, indeed.>
Ryouko let her go, smirking. "Hmmm, well, Tenchi could probably use a
third wife, you know..."
"BWAACK!! NO WAY!! UH-HUH!!! I... third?" She looked at Ryouko askance.
Smiling smugly, Ryouko walked off to the kitchen, picking up the two
cabbits on the way. "You'll see," she sang, the door swinging shut
behind her.
Nagi shook her head, spared a glance at Tenchi still on the floor, "No
thanks," and turned back to the television, wondering how her life got
so turned around.
"Some fun we're havin'," she muttered sarcastically. "Ryouko no baka."
~~~~~
The massive bulk of Aeka's new tree-ship settled calmly on the waters of
Masaki-no-ike. She waited on the bridge until all necessary systems had
shut down. As she waited, she wondered what had changed after her
four-month absence. She knew Ryouko was pregnant, as the pirate had
messaged her, wanting to share her joy.
Aeka sighed wistfully. <Babies, babies.> She turned her attention to a
cylindrical wooden trunk containing her gifts for everyone. She made one
last check to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
It had been an odd trip home. There were things that had piled up that
needed the Regent to attend to, and there had also been innumerable
meetings with the High Council and especially the Chancellor. She
frowned as she recalled the unusual looks she'd received from a few of
them.
She'd first feared that a coup was brewing, but she realized that the
looks were ones of amusement. It happened often enough that she'd almost
been to the point of screaming, wanting to know what in the world was
going on. But pry and needle as she might, no one coughed up a single
explanation. Even the Knights, Azaka and Kamidake, seemed to be grinning
more than usual. Not so rare for Kamidake, but Azaka?! <I'm going to
have to have words with them one of these days,> she vowed. <Legends
reborn or no...>
Satisfied that her gifts were in order, she gave a command and, like the
first time she'd come to Earth, she debarked in a ball of green energy
which settled on the shore. It faded away and Aeka looked up to see her
beloved family present to greet her.
Sasami ran up first, hugging her sister. An emotional Ryouko plowed into
her, and Aeka suffered amusedly under the pirate's hugs and kisses to
the cheek. When Ryouko finally let go, Aeka exclaimed over how big
Ryouko was getting, to which Tenchi's wife blushed and giggled. Aeka
shook her head. <That's going to take some getting used to.> She
exchanged surprised pleasantries with Nagi, and received a warm welcome
from Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and Katsuhito. Mihoshi and Kiyone were on patrol,
and Washuu was busy in her lab, she was told.
It was everything she expected and nothing she'd dreamed.
~~~~~
The evening meal was even better than she'd remembered; she wasn't sure
if even the palace chefs could top her sister's cuisine. Aeka chewed
thoughtfully, though, and with even perhaps a little annoyance. Some of
her family were giving her the same looks the others back on Jurai had;
amusement hidden behind warm smiles. <WHAT is going ON?!> It was enough
to drive her to distraction.
But she noticed a difference. The Council members had kept their
professional distance, even if they were seemingly enjoying themselves
at her expense. Here, though, she could almost feel the warmth flowing
into her. It was like a strange electricity in the air, arcing unseen
between Tenchi, Ryouko, and... herself. Startled, Aeka dropped her
chopsticks.
"Aeka-san? Are you all right?" Tenchi asked, concerned.
"Aeka?" Ryouko echoed.
Nervous, she mumbled, "Fine, fine. Just a passing thought. Nothing for
you to worry about."
The others nodded, keeping an eye on the princess.
~~~~~
Tenchi, Ryouko, and Katsuhito excused themselves from the table early,
offering numerous apologies. Aeka looked at them suspiciously, as they
claimed they needed to prepare for a surprise welcome for her.
Everyone else was far from through with the meal, so nothing more was
said or done until the last of the gathered friends and family pushed
back from the table. Sasami then stood and said, "If you will all follow
me."
Highly interested in what had been planned, the rest got up and followed
the blue-haired princess as she led them into a room Aeka didn't
remember having been there before. <Washuu,> she correctly concluded,
seeing the smirk on the scientist's face. The new room reminded her of
the ladies' bath, except without the bath. She wondered why it had been
necessary to construct a pocket dimension, but the short walk on a path
through the thick growth of plants native only to Jurai answered her
question.
<They went to a lot of trouble. What is going on?!>
The trail opened onto a clearing paved in rough, gray stone. Stone
columns formed a semi-circle, partially enclosing the clearing, and a
lone obelisk stood at the rear with the symbol of Jurai, a Great Tree,
carved into its face. A low stone table with a polished surface sat in
the center of the clearing, and Tenchi and Ryouko, in snow-white kimono,
sat on one side, facing the guests. Katsuhito sat at one end, dressed in
his priest's robes.
Cushions were available for the others, and Aeka made to seat herself
with the rest, but Sasami took her hand and led her surprised sister out
of the clearing along a different path. The path quickly terminated in a
small private clearing, also paved in stone. A clothing rack with a
third snow-white kimono sat off to one side.
"Please change, Oneesama, and I will lead you back."
Blinking and with shaking hands, Aeka pulled off the several layers of
her Juraian kimono, leaving only the undergarment. Sasami held up the
inner kimono, helping her sister into it. Next came the outer garment.
When she had finished tying the obi and adjusting Aeka's kimono, Sasami
looked her up and down and nodded. They retraced their path, and Sasami
led her to a single cushion on the side of the table opposite Tenchi and
Ryouko. Once seated on her shins, Aeka clasped her hands to cover the
trembling and peered wide-eyed at the two across from her. Sasami
retreated and took her own seat, and Tenchi cleared his throat.
"Ryouko-san, Katsuhito-dono, and I would like to thank all of you for
attending this special occasion," he formally greeted. "We are gathered
here today for two reasons. First, I must admit that I've been going
behind your back for a little while now, Aeka-sama. In discussing this
matter with, er, Yousho-sama, Ryouko-san, Sasami-dono, and a
carefully-selected few Juraian nobles and other persons, and because of
a conversation you and I had a long time ago, I have decided that,
should you be willing to step aside, I will take the throne as Emperor
of Jurai."
Aeka's jaw hung open a moment before she slowly closed her mouth.
"Ummm, yeah. I have no idea what I'm really getting into," a round of
chuckles greeted him, "but that will hopefully be addressed with the
second matter, discussed solely between myself, Ryouko-san, Sasami-dono,
Katsuhito-dono... and now, you."
Saying nothing more, Tenchi turned to Ryouko, who picked up a teacup
Aeka hadn't even noticed in her nervousness. There were also a number of
implements, some cloths, a tea box, and a teapot of hot water, all
situated between Tenchi and Ryouko.
Ryouko proceeded to dip the implements in a bowl of water and carefully
wipe them with one of the cloths. When all was ritually cleansed, she
passed the cup to Tenchi with a bow. Tenchi bowed to her and took the
cup. Opening the tea box, he measured a portion of dried leaves into an
infusing basket, closed the box, and placed the basket in the teapot.
"We've, ah, really turned this ceremony inside out from the traditional,
but we hope the thought remains." He carefully poured some of the brewed
tea into the cup and set the pot down. He rotated the cup a half turn,
studied it, and then carefully picked it up, placing it before Aeka. She
couldn't move a muscle.
"Aeka," he warmly said, "you have been more than family to us; you have
been our friend. And now, we would like for you to be more." His voice
firmed and carried. "With no thought to present or future titles or
stature, by this engagement ceremony, and with the blessings of both
Yousho-sama, highest living member of the Jurai Royal Family, and Masaki
Katsuhito-dono, Masaki shrine priest, Ryouko and I are here to formally
petition you to join us in a marriage of love, as wife to us and only
incidentally as a future Empress of Jurai," he finished with a rakish
smile.
Aeka's eyes were wide and she was pale, her clasped hands no longer
hiding her tremors. After a long moment, she blinked and looked down at
the teacup in front of her, almost afraid it would shatter by the weight
of her gaze. Slowing managing to pry her hands apart, she moved her
jittery fingers around the curve of the fine porcelain. She closed her
eyes and prayed to every god she'd ever heard of to not let her drop it.
Opening her eyes, she brought the cup to her lips, the liquid jumping
and threatening to spill out, and took a careful, measured drink of the
bitter brew. She set the cup down, hesitated, then rotated it a half
turn. She picked it up and set in front of a smiling Tenchi.
Tenchi repeated the ritual, then passed the cup to Ryouko, who did the
same. Tenchi and Ryouko looked at Aeka lovingly, but the princess was
still trembling, her wide, moist eyes blinking. Aeka's voice shook when
she finally spoke.
"Do... Am I s-s-supposed to say 'yes', n-now?"
Soft laughter echoed against the stones. "You already did, Aeka-- chan,"
Tenchi said. Aeka broke down crying at the affectionate honorific, and
both Tenchi and Ryouko moved around to either side of her, hugging her
and kissing her on the cheek. Aeka gripped both of them tightly, letting
all her relief and happiness out in great, wracking sobs. It was what
she dreamed of... come true at last.
Teary-eyed, friends and family moved back into the house to give them
some privacy. Kiyone had to drag Mihoshi along the ground, the blonde
bawling and totally unable to walk.
Katsuhito laid a hand on Tenchi's shoulder before leaving. "Two wives,
eh? I hope you know what you're getting into," he said good-naturedly.
"Ah... yeah," Tenchi said, scratching his head. "Maybe if I keep them
alternately pregnant--"
"AAHH!!" "TENCHI-SAMA!!" Fists lightly pounded on him as he laughed.
"A JOKE! Maaaannn..."
"See you for practice tomorrow, Tenchi. Regular time."
Tenchi wilted as his wife and fiancee snickered at him.
Ryouko took the opportunity to whisper in Aeka's ear, the resemblance to
the action from years ago sending a tingle along her spine. "I expect a
*lot* more from you than just a little kiss on the cheek, but I can wait
till later... Aeka-chan." She leaned back, wiggling her eyebrows.
"EEEE!!!" Aeka screeched. "Ryouko-sa... Ryouko-chan!! You naughty,
naughty thing!"
Laughing, Ryouko zoomed back into the house, a broadly-smiling Aeka hot
on her heels, trailing joyful tears.
"What was that all about?" Tenchi asked, bewildered.
Katsuhito chuckled from the far side of the stone floor. "I have a
feeling you'll find out later tonight. Oyasumi, Tenchi." He strode down
the path, whistling to himself.
Tenchi was the sole remaining occupant of the stone clearing. "What
*have* I gotten myself into..." He smirked and trotted after his
grandfather, hoping to catch up with his significant others.
====================
Epilogue
____________________
Twenty-one. She was twenty-one today, and Sasami was in joyful, loving
awe of her gift.
Life had been strange the last few years. Over the last three of those
years, Sasami had gone on the very minimum number of marriage meetings
required by duty. This wasn't by design... until she realized that she
wasn't finding what she was looking for. She would call Aeka, Ryouko,
and Tenchi and complain, wail, and sometimes rage about the men she
would meet, often surprising herself with her own vehemence. They had
been understanding, although lately they had taken to sharing odd looks
with one another.
Oh, a few of the men she'd met were nice, decent gentlemen, but she'd
realized about two years into the meetings that she had a yardstick she
was measuring each one against. No matter how nice, how considerate, how
gentle, or how what-ever-else one valued, they never seemed to measure
up. After the third year of meetings, she was weary in spirit and had
left for Earth to celebrate her impending birthday and to be with the
people she loved the most in the entire universe, either already present
or en route from the thrones of Jurai.
<The bad stuff can't hurt us...>
She looked up at Tenchi, seated across from her: older, more filled-out,
Emperor, but still the same person Sasami had first met, sweeping leaves
on a lane. She looked to his left. Ryouko and her daughter sat, smiling
warmly at her. Ryouko contentedly rested her hand on her swollen belly.
On Tenchi's right, Aeka serenely cradled her infant boy. And finally,
back to Tenchi, and she had to pinch herself so she wouldn't start
bawling in happiness and relief.
<...as long as we're all together.>
As Tenchi began to speak, Sasami took a deep, shuddering breath and
clasped her hands to keep them from trembling, resting them in the lap
of her snow-white kimono.
====================
====================
END IN VINO VERITAS